Castles & Kings - chess books index

Chess Books

United States Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess, Fifth Edition
by U.S. Chess Federation

A must have for the tournament player
Reviewer: A reader from NC, USA

I rate this book not because the book is "so wonderful", but because it is a must have for the tournament player. Every chess player in general should know the rules to chess. But the tournament player must know the rules and procedures of a tournament. Such rules as "touch move" are all explained in detail in this book.

The book contains the explaination of the use of chess notation, the correct chess equipment, player's rights and responsibilities, explaination of the USCF rating system, and a section called "Ten tips to Winning chess".

If you are a tournament director, then this book is also a must have

One Thousand and One Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations
by Fred Reinfeld

Reviewer: Joseph S. M. from Bronxville, New York USA

This is a wonderful book on the dynamics of chess strategy. The author acknowledges that chess is a game for the young. Skill peaks at about the mid-thirties and then declines.
There are detailed explanations of strategies to protect the king and queen, as well as schemes aimed at wearing down an opponent. This work is excellent for an intermediate chess player.

My System: 21st Century Edition
by Aron Nimzowitsch, Lou Hays

One of The Three Best Chess Books in The World
Reviewer: A reader

I have a chess library that contains several hundred dollars worth of books. And looking at them there are three that I have learned more from than all the rest: MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch, IDEAS BEHIND THE CHESS OPENINGS by Reuben Fine, and COLLE SYSTEM by George Koltanowski. To do justice to this book, and to understand what Nimzowitsch is saying in it, will require a commitment of both time and effort from the reader. Don't pick this book up and expect to polish it off in a weekend 'cause this book is to The Chess World what Chemistry 101 is to Science. An aspiring chess player won't get anywhere without Nimzowitsch's concepts of: overprotection, centralization, open lines, surrender of the center, pawn structure, attacking strategies, defense strategies. Many International Grandmasters admit to cutting their teeth on this book. Nimzowitsch's concepts on middlegame play are the bedrock upon which solid, effective chess skills are made. He instructs the reader on sound opening play and then moves into the middlegame and endgame phases in greater depth than does Fine (see above book). His approach to chess could be called scientific: his analysis of a position by its strong and weak points allows the reader to understand what to strive for and what to plan for when moving the pieces from one square to another. Moves are made for a reason; Nimzowitsch teaches those reasons. This book won't make you a World Champion, but you won't become one without it. This is a must-have book

Chinese Chess: An Introduction to China's Ancient Game of Strategy
by H. T. Lau

The most comprehensive English book on the game.
Reviewer: A reader

The game of Chinese chess, or 'elephant chess' as it is known in Chinese, has been played for centuries. Since, naturally, most of the books heretofore published on this challenging game of strategy have been in the Chinese language, the present book by H. T. Lau renders a welcome service to another large group of game-lovers the world over. Explained with clear examples coupled with about 170 diagrams are the fundamental aspects of Chinese chess - the board, the mode of movement and values of the pieces, and the basic rules. The reader will note that there are interesting variations on the Western chess theme (although no prior knowledge of other forms of chess are necessary for an understanding of this book). Once the basics have been outlined, standard opening strategies are explicated, as are tactics for use once the game gets under way.
Strategies used with various combinations of pieces commonly remaining toward the conclusion of the game are described in a chapter devoted to the end-game, which is perhaps the phase that the beginner should master first. This section shows how a player with seemingly few pieces left can win a game, and how a player in what looks like a losing situation can force a draw. Eighty mid- and end-game exercises designed to sharpen the player's skill are presented with answers at the end of the book. Finally, two appendixes are devoted to the elegantly constructed games found in two classic seventeenth-century works on Chinese chess. Here, then, is a book for both the novice and the chess fan who wants to add to his or her repertoire of fun.